Speed Bumps
by pampilot67
Summary: Castle and Beckett hit major speed bumps on the road to togetherness


**Speed Bumps **

Rick and Kate hit big speed bumps, in life. in the road to togetherness.

* * *

**Cast of characters:**

**Katherine H Beckett;** Detective , NYPD.

Age 32, single,

in a relationship with Richard Castle

three recently failed relationships;

(One) William Sorensen, FBI

(Two) Thomas Deming, detective NYPD.

(Three) Dr. Joshua Davison.

Cardiac surgeon

**Richard Alexander Castle**: Best selling author, 26 times.

Age 42, single;

in a relation ship with Kate Beckett.

Married and divorced times two.

One teenage daughter, Alexis .

Story line:

** B**eckett and Castle are together in a relationship, and have been for almost a year. They have been partners for five years

They are about to hit a huge speed bump in their togetherness.

J L

They are at Kate's apartment and Rick is making them dinner. Kate is setting the table, as Rick places the serving dishes in the center of it. Noticing that Kate has left her suit jacket on the back of one of her two chairs he picks it up to hang it up.

As Rick lifts the jacket up a small white card falls out.

Castle hangs the jacket on a hanger then bends down and picks up the white card. It an airline boarding pass.

_" Kate you went to Washington this morning?"_

_"Arr...arr…. yes Castle I did, go to DC this morning."_

_"Kate you told me you were busy uptown, at 1PP. _

_When you really were in... Washington DC! _

_What in hell were you doing in Washington, __**Kate**__?"_

_"I had an early morning appointment, um,….make that an interview for a,….. job."_

_"__**A job**__... I job,… where Kate?…__** Not **__in DC I hope?"_

_"Castle it was just a preliminary interview….. for a job, with the… Attorney General's Office. _

_It…..it….. was no big deal Castle….They didn't even offer me the job,… they just wanted to talk to me."_

_"Wait, wait,…. let me get this straight… _

_Number one you flew to Washington,….. DC,…very early __**this**__ morning,….. not telling me you were going. _

_Number two,…. __**you**__lied to me, about where you were this morning. _

_Just when,… we you going to tell me about this job,…. Kate?"_

_"Castle it was __**only,**__ a quick interview to talk to me about a new job for me."_

_"What would this new job mean to us, Kate?"_

_"Us, Castle,…..meaning __**you**__ and __**me**__,... this is **me** Castle ,__**my**__job,….. __**my**__life. A job __**,…**__**I…,**__have wanted ….forever."_

_"What you're saying __**Kate**__,… __**stop me if I'm wrong**__,…this is for __**you, Kate Beckett**__, and there is no __**us**__ in this job."_

"_Well you could not be able follow me and be my partner, __**no**__."_

"_I guess I do not fit into this new job of yours, ...do I Kate__**?**__"_

_"Damn it,... __**I**__ don't even have the job, and you're forgetting Castle that, this would be __**my**__ dream job."_

_"I'm not stupid, or naïve, Kate I've talked to Agents, Shaw, and Stark. I know what entails to work for the DC, letter people. I know about the broken marriages, and destroyed families. _

_You'll be in DC or some other locations around the country I'll never get to see you or be with you for more than a day or a couple of hours, at most._

_I need some air Kate this room is so full of lies now. I'm going to say something I don't mean or you're going to say something you don't mean. I'll call you later. _

_Good night detective Beckett."_

Rick did a quick walk, or a slow run out of the apartment.

He never looked back, then he slammed the door so hard Kate thought he broke it.

Kate picked up the meal she had prepared and through it, and the dishes it was in right, in the trash bucket. She picked up the bottle of wine and a glass and went in her living room set down on her couch, and polished off the bottle. When the wine was gone she started on the tequila.

At 7:30 in the morning the buzzing from her alarm clock, coupled with her hangover made her nauseous. She ran into her bathroom and vomited.

A long warm shower and two Aleve® made her head stop pounding, enough to go to work.

She stopped at the Starbucks near the precinct and got herself an extra-large coffee, with two shots of Boost.

Later she was sitting at her desk going over paperwork when she looked up at the clock, noting that it was now after (12) noon. It was clear to her that Castle was not going to come in to the precinct, or going to call her, probably never.

She took out her cell and speed dialed him. After six rings her call went to voice mail.

In her mind she swore at the childish Castle. He was making a big thing out of naught. A mountain out of a mole hill. Who was he to be annoyed at her for wanting to make the decision on what she wanted to do with her existence.

It had been almost a year that they had been a couple and it seemed like he was perfectly happy to take benefits of that.

Why just the other night she danced in front of him semi-naked, and he took time to decide whether he wanted her or to continue the damn video game..

Maybe he just doesn't feel the same for me now, as he has me in his bed.. Damn you Castle what do you want from me and where is this going?

Captain Gates came out of her office was a slip of paper in her hand.

_"Beckett, Esposito, Ryan, we have a body at 2242 E. 41__st__, at Lexington Pl., Beckett where is Mr. Castle?"_

_"Captain I have no idea in the world where he is today. I have not seen or spoken to him since last night at around eight (8 __**pm)**__."_

_"Then the three you get a move on, the ME is on-site all ready. She thinks this is a homicide not a suicide. So get a move on straight away."_

_"Where on it sir, LT you'll come with me."_

Patrolman L. T. Jones is perplexed, as why he was asked to ride along with Senior Detective Beckett. Rick Castle has been her partner for over three years. Why is he missing today?

The four of them were up and out of the bullpen in a matter of minutes.

It took almost 30 minutes to arrive at the crime scene. Then have to walk up six flights of stairs, to the top floor. It only took Kate an the boys a few minutes to decide that this indeed is a homicide. Kate directed the CSI team, in what she wanted done. Laine, the medical examiner gave Kate a wallet with the victims ID.

_"Ryan Esposito I want you to notify the next of kin. I'm going back to the precincts, to start the paperwork and the murder board."_

Esposito, and Ryan both looked at each other with bemused looks on their face. Beckett and Castle always did the notifying of the next of kin.

What, in the world, had changed overnight that they knew nothing about?

Kate call Castle three more times with the same results, voice mail.

It was approaching 9 _pm_ in the 12 precinct homicide bullpen. Kate looked up at the clock and then around the room she was the only one except the night squad person still on the floor..

A voice called across the room to her.

_"Beckett I you doing an all niter or you just fall asleep at your desk?"_

_"I just did not realize it was that late I think I'm go get a little sleep."_

Without hesitation she got up and left the precinct.

Eight day have gone by and Castle is still not made an appearance at the 12th. On Friday Kate's phone rang. It was a DC area number.

"_Detective Beckett."_

"_Detective Beckett This is Supervisory Special Agent Stark, at the Attorney General's Office. _

_I have been directed to tell you that you are on the short list to be offered a job as an Agent of AG Office. _

_Are you stilled interested?"_

"_Yes Agent Stark I'm stilled interested."_

"_Ok then we'll be in contact with you soon. _

_Keep your phone on Detective."_

Kate had a smile on her face and was twirling a strand of hair around he fingers, like she did when flirting with Castle

"_Yes sir I will."_

_"Hey Beckett who are you flirting with__**?**__"_

_"It's really not any of your business Espo, and I don't appreciate snooping."_

The smile disappeared and a stern nasty look appeared on her face.

Espo walked off and went into the break room.

Ryan was already in their getting a cup of tea. Walking over to Ryan Espo he said in a low voice.

_"What in hell, crawled up Beckett's ass? She's been an SOB for over a week. I just heard her talking on the phone and I think I heard her say Agent Stark."_

_"The Agent Stack, that FBI fuck that followed Castle and Kate around? He seemed he was real hot for Kate and he didn't really like Castle at all. Now she's talking on the phone with him, she had a smile on her face till she saw me, and why is Castles missing. Something is really messed up."_

_"I don't know about you buddy but I like Castle, he outlandish sometimes but, he's a good guy. _

_I don't like the idea that he shows up and Castle can't find the time to come in to the precinct when we have an active case that's just not right."_

Esposito goes back to his desk takes out his cell phone and dialed Castle.

_"Hey Castle long time no see. When are you coming into the precinct we miss you man. Plus munching lunch once in a while."_

_"Espo I've just had a lot of things to do. And a lot of thinking to do. I do miss coming in and have you guys mooch off me, but isn't that what friends do."_

_"Castle you not coming in this has something do with Beckett doesn't? _

"_No comments on that friend."_

"_Just on the QT between you and me that dick-head Special Agent Stark was on the phone with Kate earlier today. Since she talked to him she really been on the rag, if you know what I mean. She has not smiled in a while. Only when you're here come in Castle. What's going on?"_

_"Espo as a buddy in a friend it's not for me to tell you what I think is going on, you will have to go to the horse's mouth and see if she'll tell you."_

_"So Castle you're not coming in any time soon, and this has to do with Beckett?"_

_"You'll have to talk to her I don't feel comfortable talking,_

_I mean about her and her business to anyone else. _

_Sorry my friend let's get together Friday night at the __'__**Old**__**Haunt**__' for a few beers."_

_"Okay Castle see you on Friday night. the drinks are on you."_

_"It's a good thing I own the bar, stay safe my friends."_

Friday morning Beckett, Esposito, and Ryan were working on an old case, an old cold case.

Ryan looked into the Captain's office saw that she was on the phone, she just hung up the phone when it of rang again. He saw her writing on the yellow sheet of paper he knew they had a new body drop. He opened his desk drawer took out his badge and gun and stood up.

Gates came out of the office and walked directly to Ryan's desk.

_"Ryan, Esposito we just had a shoot out, in a Dell the deli on the fifth, at 41st Ave. you two go to the scene now. _

_Beckett I need you in my office at once."_

Ryan, and Esposito looked at each other than at Beckett, then back to the Captain.

Then he took the slip of paper without saying a word, and left the bullpen. Beckett also without saying a word walked into the Captain's office.

_"Beckett I just received a phone call from a friend of mine in the AG's office in DC. You're going to get a phone call shortly from them with a job offer. So please stay here at the precinct so you can get the call."_

_"Captain I,...I. do not know what to say."_

_"Beckett I had a call from the Assistant Attorney General a week ago asking about you and asking for a recommendation.. _

_I gave them a super positive recommendation._

_It's a job I always thought I would want, if given the chance. You are going to be given that chance Kate. _

_Think about it and do some more paperwork on that cold case. Your partners are going to have to work on their own sooner or later. _

_I'm betting it's going to be sooner you're dismissed Detective Beckett, go home, after the call."_

It was after 3:30 closer of 4 o'clock when Ryan and Esposito came back. They looked at Beckett but said nothing.

At 4:30 Gates called out for Beckett to come in to her office. Beckett went into the office Gates motioned her to sit in her chair and handed her a telephone.

_"Detective Beckett this is Deputy Attorney General William Sutton I'm calling to offer you the job we spoke about._

_I'm going to give you over the weekend to give me an answer. I'm sure you have to talk with your family, but I'm sure in my mind you will take the job. _

_So congratulations just give me a call by next Tuesday at the end of business. _

_I'm sending you a full enrollment package by messenger today it should reach your home shortly. Hoping to see you next week, have a good weekend detective."_

_"Well Beckett what did he say?"_

_"He said I have the job if I wanted it, I have till next Tuesday at the end of business to give them a confirmation."_

_"Kate you're an excellent police detective you will be an excellent Special Agent, congratulations and I really and truly am going to miss you."_

"_Thank you so very much Captain for everything I really do appreciate it."_

_"Please take the rest of day off Kate go give yourself a treat I'll see you Monday when you feel like coming in."_

Kate walked out of the office went directly to her desk put her jacket on picked up her purse and lock the draw with her gun and badge in it.

Then she walked to the elevator and left, She never said one word to anyone in the bullpen. It was like she was in a separate world.

When she reached her apartment a little after five she had made some major decisions.

She took out her cell phone and speed dialed Castle.

As was the norm for the last 10 days her call went to voicemail. This time she left a message.

**(Rick we have to talk, and we have to talk soon. If you don't call me back within the next 12 hours I will assume that we are done. **

**The ball is now in your court now Rick.)**

By 10 o'clock that night Katie finished cleaning every inch, of her apartment. So she took down her last good bottle of wine popped the cork and poured a glass.

As if Castle could see what she was doing her cell beeped indicating a text message.

**(Kate we do need to talk. Tomorrow at 10 in the park at our usual spot. Rick)**

Brooding and more upset than at any other time she had been involved with Castle, she feared the meeting tomorrow.

But why she was the one who asked to meet. She went to bed to think over what was to happen tomorrow. She did not sleep well at all.


End file.
